The IAAF is surprised by WADA's comments, particularly given how closely it has worked with WADA over the entire period to try to advance the fight against blood doping

GENEVA, August 4. /TASS/. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) rejected on Tuesday the doping allegations made in the German television channel ARD’s documentary.

The IAAF said in a statement the data called secret in the documentary had been analyzed and published by the organization more than four years ago.

"The IAAF takes the allegations published by The Sunday Times and ARD very seriously and has investigated them thoroughly," the statement said.

"The published allegations were sensationalist and confusing: the results referred to were not positive tests. In fact, ARD and The Sunday Times both admit that their evaluation of the data did not prove doping."

The data on which the reports were based was not ‘secret’ as the IAAF published a detailed analysis of this data more than four years ago.

"The IAAF wants to stamp out all doping in sport and welcomes greater public debate. There is no perfect system for catching drug cheats, but the IAAF has been at the forefront of drug testing for many years. Under its pioneering Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) system, more athletes have been banned for cheating by the IAAF than all other sports federations and national anti-doping agencies put together," the statement said.

"It is important to be very clear that a large proportion of these blood samples were collected in a period before the implementation of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) and cannot therefore be used as proof of doping,"

"The IAAF condemns in the strongest possible terms the distribution, sharing, and publication of private and confidential medical data that was obtained from the IAAF without consent. The IAAF retains the right to take any action necessary to protect the rights of the IAAF and its athletes," the statement said.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said on Sunday it would request its independent commission to study fresh allegations regarding widespread doping in international athletics brought in the television documentary released by German broadcaster ARD on August 1.

Doping allegations

"The documentary alleges that ARD and The Sunday Times obtained a leaked database, belonging to the International Association of Athletics Federations, which contained more than 12,000 blood tests from around 5,000 athletes in the years 2001 to 2012," WADA said in a statement.

According to The Sunday Times, a third of medals (146, including 55 golds) in endurance events at the Olympics and World Championships between 2001 and 2012 were won by athletes who have recorded suspicious tests. The newspaper further said that none of these athletes have been stripped of their medals.

The newspaper also claimed that Russian athletes suspected of doping had won 80% of medals for their country in endurance competitions at Olympic Games and World Championships between 2001 and 2012.

Commenting on the news, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Sunday the emergence of materials on the alleged doping abuse by athletes, including from Russia, was an element of struggle for power at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

"Apparently, some people want to ruin athletics by releasing such documentaries. But in any case, you can’t use the documentary to bring accusations," Mutko said. "New elections of the [IAAF] president are coming in August and an ordinary struggle for power is under way," he said.

WADA statement on German TV documentary about doping in sports surprising

The latest statement by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) it is concerned over a documentary shown on Germany’s ARD channel was a great surprise, the International Association of Athletics Federations said in a statement published on the organization’s official website.

Earlier on Tuesday the IAAF said that the facts mentioned in the film as secret had been studied and published by the IAAF more than four years ago.

"The IAAF is surprised by WADA's comments, particularly given how closely it has worked with WADA over the entire period to try to advance the fight against blood doping, notably in assisting in the development and implementation of the Athlete Biological Passport," the statement runs. At the same time the IAAF welcomes the opportunity to present its activities to an independent probe in an open and transparent form. The very existence of IAAF data before 2009 had not been a secret to the WADA. Since the moment the Athlete Biological Passport was developed and implemented the WADA has had full access to IAAF data regarding the athletes’ blood profiles after 2009."

WADA had said in an official statement it was extremely concerned over the new allegations in the ARD’s second film, adding that the information would be handed over to an independent commission for further inquiries.